Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has increased divisive rhetoric on the election campaign, deploying some of the most extreme language of his decade in power to attack opponents and mobilise Hindu voters as his party seeks a historic third term.
In a series of rallies since India’s general election began on April 19, Modi has referred to the country’s Muslim minority as “infiltrators”, likened his Bharatiya Janata party’s arch-rival Indian National Congress to the historic pro-Pakistan Muslim League and accused Congress of seeking to “loot” wealth from Hindus and redistribute it to Muslims.
“Congress wants to take part of the rights of [lower-caste Hindus] and give it to their vote bank,” Modi told a campaign rally in Goa on Saturday. “And you know who Congress’s favourite vote bank is,” he added — a thinly veiled reference to Muslims.